A Fleeting Moment

Outside, the sky had finally cleared.

The girl on the bed fluttered her eyelids, finally opening her eyes properly. A dull ache throbbed in her forehead; it was tender to the touch. Xu Feng sat up, her memory returning in fragments—aside from the contents of her dream, she remembered the frenzy after drinking Weijiu’s blood.

“I really did fall asleep,” Xu Feng muttered, looking at the girl huddled by the bedside. Weijiu, who had been guarding her, had one cheek flushed pink, her silver hair draped over her neck like a small scarf.

If we were camping out in the wild and she ‘guarded’ me like this, we’d probably both be kidnapped and sold together, Xu Feng thought, an involuntary smile spreading across her face.

Still, Weijiu had been brave. She knew something was wrong back then and had dared to resist instead of limply waiting to be bullied. She even knew how to show weakness to bide her time—she was quite clever.

Xu Feng reached out and stroked Weijiu’s head. It felt wonderful—a soft little face and silky silver hair that made one want to dote on her. Xu Feng leaned over and whispered mischievously into Weijiu’s ear.

“Wakey-wakey! Or I’ll bite your neck~”

“Wha—!?” Startled, Weijiu snapped awake and sat bolt upright, her hands frantically feeling around her neck. She found no wounds.

“Heehee~” Xu Feng laughed, feeling a genuine sense of delight at the successful prank.

“Phew! Don’t scare me like that! I was worried sick!” Weijiu looked distressed, clearly not feeling optimistic about Xu Feng’s condition.

“It’s alright. At least the effort wasn’t for nothing.” Xu Feng climbed out of bed and slipped into her slippers.

“What did you gain?” Weijiu turned her head to look at her.

“Well, for one, the lesson that you can’t just drink blood recklessly. But besides that, I made another discovery.”

Xu Feng stood up and walked toward the window into the sunlight. Her small shadow suddenly began to flicker and waver.

“I think this is what they call Disguise Magic.”

As Xu Feng spoke, she tucked her hands behind her back. Her body began to emit bursts of white light particles, obscuring her features and clothing. As the light intensified, her frame began to grow taller.

The bedroom door was open, and a breeze wafted in from the balcony. The light particles on Xu Feng’s body were like dandelion seeds, scattering at the call of the wind. When the glow finally faded against the walls, a white-haired youth in a T-shirt stood there in her place.

“I think this should do it.”

Xu Feng looked back at Weijiu. Her perspective had shifted significantly higher; a nostalgic sense of familiarity—of finally returning to her true self—washed over her.

Weijiu stared blankly at Xu Feng. In this boyish form, she looked a bit dashing; especially when the wind brushed through those white bangs, her face looked clean and bright under the light. That gentle smile was like the sunlight after a rainstorm.

That was her original appearance. Or rather, his appearance.

Weijiu looked down, her face flushing slightly. She asked in a small voice: “But your voice… I can’t help with that.”

Indeed, Xu Feng’s voice just now had still been that of a young girl. When paired with the new appearance, the cognitive dissonance was massive.

“The voice is a small matter. At worst, I’ll just have to strain my throat a bit.”

“But that will be uncomfortable.” Weijiu looked up at Xu Feng, staring at the original face of her savior, which now, sadly, had to serve as a mask.

“I’ve accepted it. Having two forms as ‘alt accounts’—it’s actually kind of cool when you think about it, right?” Xu Feng walked over and patted Weijiu’s shoulder. “Alright, now that I’ve mastered Disguise Magic, come somewhere with me.”

“Where?” Weijiu blinked.

“The Dream Protection Bureau. But first, get back into this seal.”

Xu Feng snapped her fingers. Her body shrunk with a poof, the excess mass vanishing into a cloud of mist. Once again, she was small and petite.

Seeing the youth’s form vanish so quickly, Weijiu nodded with a hint of disappointment.

“Okay. But speaking of seals… that scale mark on your forehead? When you went into that frenzy, it turned into a black crown.”

Xu Feng frowned slightly at Weijiu’s words, then clapped her hands as a realization hit her.

“Understood. I’ll ask the Bureau to clear that up. And not just that—I had a dream. A dream that felt like… like something big is about to happen.”

Location: The Main Hall of the Dream Protection Bureau.

Uncle Shui was putting on his bag, preparing to head out for a routine mission. At the front desk, Miss Duyun saw him and gave a wave.

“Uncle Shui, have you had lunch yet?” Miss Duyun’s large brown tail wagged behind her.

“Ah, not yet. I’m heading out for a mission, so I’ll just grab a bite outside.” Uncle Shui walked to the desk and picked up a pen to log his departure.

Seeing him focused on writing, Miss Duyun secretly reached into a cabinet and pushed a bag toward him.

Uncle Shui stopped his pen, his eyes landing on the item. “What’s this?”

“Some flower tea picked from my hometown. Drinking it helps detoxify and calm the nerves. You’re always staying up late, Uncle Shui, so consider this a way to make up for the exhaustion.” Miss Duyun gave a demure smile, her tail wagging with anticipation.

“Thank you for the kind gesture, Miss Duyun.” Uncle Shui took the bag. He looked at the transport pad behind him and felt that he couldn’t just leave without offering something in return. “Miss Duyun, do you need me to bring anything back from outside?”

“Oh, you’re too polite. If I had to say… I’m actually running low on fur conditioner. It’s difficult for me to go out and buy it looking like this.” Duyun laughed, though her tail drooped slightly and her fox ears twitched downward in annoyance.

“Alright, I’ll see if I can find some.” Thinking she was genuinely troubled by the errand, Uncle Shui promised solemnly.

“Then I’ll trouble you, Uncle Shui.”

Duyun watched him leave, her expression turning a bit dejected. Just then, the elevator doors opened and Xiao Xuan stepped out, catching sight of Duyun’s slumped shoulders.

Xiao Xuan ran over, covering her mouth as she whispered curiously, “Why does Miss Duyun look so unhappy?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I just saw Uncle Shui off and gave him a bag of flower tea from home.”

“Eh? Flower tea? I remember in your hometown, giving flower tea to a member of the opposite s*x means… an expression of love?”

“Keep your voice down! I thought he would know!” Duyun shot Xiao Xuan a resentful look.

“Oh, Miss Duyun, you’re being way too subtle. Uncle Shui is from the older generation; he rarely knows the specific customs of different regions, let alone something that cryptic. If you ask me, sending him a love letter would be much more effective than this!” Xiao Xuan corrected her bluntly, but Duyun simply shook her head.

Outside the Bureau, Uncle Shui was just about to start his car when his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Uncle Shui, can you come pick me up? I have something to discuss with you all.” It was Xu Feng on the other end.

“Sure thing. I’m just heading out for a minor investigation mission; I can pick you up on the way.”

“An investigation? Can I join?” Xu Feng asked expectantly.

“Since it’s just a small task, you can come along. Wait for me to pick you up.” Uncle Shui figured that giving Feng a little field experience wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“Thanks, Uncle Shui!”